


Opening Up

by MusingsOfSaturn



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Violence, Extramarital Affairs, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Sad with a Happy Ending, Waitress - Freeform, domestic abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:42:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26948416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusingsOfSaturn/pseuds/MusingsOfSaturn
Summary: ['Waitress' AU]Waitress and baker Anna Westergaard's life changed forever when she discovered some startling news. Dr Kristoff Bjorgman didn't anticipate liking his new patients quite as much as he did. For better or worse, the residents of the small town of Småby Bend were about to be changed forever.
Relationships: Anna/Hans (Disney), Anna/Kristoff (Disney), Bulda/Cliff (Disney), Elsa/Honeymaren (Disney)
Comments: 45
Kudos: 69





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Hellooooo!
> 
> This is a little idea that popped into my head and I just couldn't let it go. You do not need to be familiar with the story of 'Waitress' to get this, so I really hope you enjoy it whether you love that movie/musical or have never even heard of it!
> 
> Just a quick trigger warning, this story does involve domestic abuse and extramarital affairs. If either of those things will upset you, please do click away. [SPOILER: this story will have a happy ending, and will diverge from the ending of the original 'Waitress' story. Just to let you know up front!]
> 
> Anywho, if you do decide to give this a read, I sincerely hope you enjoy it!
> 
> ~ Saturn

Småby Bend was a small town of little significance to everyone apart from its residents. It had a charming market square which hosted a farmers’ market on Wednesday mornings, neat residential streets that were cited as being ‘perfect for raising a family’, and one small train station with a train running twice a day to the nearest city. It seemed like everybody knew everyone else, though nobody was really paying attention to each other. Time moved slower in Småby Bend; it wasn’t the fast-paced town for commuters and rat-racers. It was the steady home of routine mundanity.

Just to the west of the market square, nestled in between a book shop and a pharmacy, sat The Snøffnug Café. It had stood in the same spot for fifty years, and would be there for fifty more. The owner, Cliff, was known for being grouchy and stern – his wife had died twenty years earlier and he hadn’t been the same since. As an ex-army man, Cliff ran a tight ship; the schedules for his staff were specific and he expected punctuality, his stock was always carefully managed, and he valued the reputation the café had for serving the best cup of coffee to the East the North Mountain.

While Cliff didn’t give a wonderful first impression, the people who worked for him understood his ways. The anxious Elsa thrived on routine and organisation anyway, so the sweet-natured woman was in her element at The Snøffnug Café (although her eye did begin to twitch nervously if Cliff started to yell). Bulda was an outgoing and high-spirited woman, a mother hen to her friends and customers, who was quick with a sassy remark to her boss that somehow never overstepped the line. And then there was Anna.

There was the ghost of a confident, bubbly girl in Anna. She was known to many, but very few people could consider themselves her friend. Her exterior was reserved and collected, but those who knew her well recognised the swirling depths of the thoughts she was lost in. Everyone in Småby Bend knew her reputation for being the best baker for miles, and her talent for flavour combinations and perfect techniques drew in daily customers to the café.

In the early afternoon of a cloudy Tuesday, Anna was tucked safely in the kitchen of The Snøffnug Café, kneading some dough as a bubbling pot of blueberries cooked on the stove. Her hands worked feverishly, pressing the dough hard into the workbench, pulling it back in on itself, before pushing it back down with force. Outside of the kitchen, there was the background noise that Anna was well accustomed to; the chatter of customers, the whirring of the coffee grinder, the bell above the door chiming as someone entered or left.

In her peripheral vision, Anna noticed the slight frame of Elsa as she walked in and started to prepare a grilled cheese for one of her customers.

“Ooh, what’s today’s pie, then?” Elsa inquired lightly.

“Blueberry-Bacon,” Anna replied. “I wanted to make something sweet and familiar, with a bit of a surprise hidden in it.”

“Sounds amazing – save me a slice when it’s done!” Anna affirmed that she would, and the two women worked in silence for a few moments. “Anna, what did that pie dough do to you?”

Anna ceased her actions. “What?”

“Well, it- You’re treating it like you saw it kick a puppy.” She offered Anna a gentle smile, and Anna huffed quietly as she turned back to the lump of dough on the workbench. “Did you see it kick a puppy?”

“No,” Anna sighed. “I’m just worried. And angry, and sad, and confused, and-”

She trailed off, and Elsa placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Overwhelmed?” she offered, and Anna nodded. “Anna, listen to me, it’s going to be okay. Whether you are, or you aren’t, we’re here to support you, and you are going to be able to do the best thing for you. This not knowing isn’t helpful though.”

“I know.”

Elsa neatly flipped the grilled cheese in the pan, confirming that it was perfectly golden brown on each side. “Which is why Bulda went to the pharmacy and picked you up a test on her lunch break.”

“Yeah… Wait, what? Elsa, I don’t want-”

“Well, I’d better go serve this up!” Elsa interrupted her friend, picking up the plate and hastily exiting with her customer’s grilled cheese. “See you later, alligator!”

Resigned, Anna almost went back to kneading the dough, before remembering Elsa’s comment and deciding it had had enough. Lost in thought, she carefully stirred the blueberries on the stove, before tasting them and adding a couple of drops of vanilla extract. After giving the pot another quick stir, she tasted again. Perfect.

As she set off a couple of strips of bacon sizzling on a skillet, Anna’s thoughts continued to race. Her hand went to her stomach as she thought she could almost sense the stirrings of life there. No, that was ridiculous. She probably wasn’t pregnant anyway, and even she was, it was far too early to feel it. Shaking off the nonsensical thought, she flipped the bacon and fought to clear her head.

“I’m not pregnant,” she whispered harshly to herself. “I can’t be.”

~

The second Bulda had flipped the sign in the door from ‘Open’ to ‘Closed’, she turned to Anna with an expression that said: ‘ _I will accept no arguments’_.

“Anna,” she grinned reassuringly, “Time to pee on a stick.”

Anna’s protestations were weak and fell on deaf ears as Bulda frogmarched her to the café’s bathroom, closely followed by Elsa. Cliff had left an hour earlier, trusting the three waitresses to close the café.

Bulda dug in her handbag, pulling out a distinctively packaged box, which she thrust into Anna’s hands. “I told Gerda at the pharmacy that if she so much as breathed a word about my purchase today that I would personally see to it that that cat of hers would receive a _lovely_ haircut. I was thinking dinosaur spines up its back. Thoughts?”

“I think you’re cruel,” Anna giggled in spite of herself.

“Eh, Gerda’s a gossip. Gotta keep her quiet one way or another. Now go. Pee.” Bulda’s firm hand shoved Anna into the bathroom, before slamming the door in her face. “Let me know when you’re done – we’ll set an egg timer.”

Anna carried out the test quickly, calling out to the other two to set the timer when she was done. Methodically, she washed her hands, before exiting the bathroom, sliding the test into her pocket so she wouldn’t have to watch it developing. Elsa and Bulda were sat at a table in the middle of the café, with the last remaining slice of Anna’s blueberry-bacon pie in between them. Anna spotted her baking timer, a cute egg design that had been a present from Elsa for her birthday a few years before, on the table as well. Wordlessly, Anna pulled out a chair as Elsa handed her a fork.

“Let’s not worry before we have to, eh?” Elsa smiled. “It was only one time, and it’s never happened for you two before – maybe Hans’ little swimmers don’t work! Wouldn’t that be something?”

“Wouldn’t that be something, indeed,” said Bulda. Anna remained silent. “Anyway, when you said that you were making a blueberry and bacon pie, I thought you were high. But I think it might just be my new favourite, Anna.” She punctuated her statement by popping another forkful of pie into her mouth.

“Thank you,” Anna replied softly. “Both of you, thank you for this.”

“Any time, sweetie.” Bulda reached to stroke Anna’s wrist affectionately.

Elsa grasped Anna’s other hand tightly, echoing the sentiment. “We’re here for you all the way.”

They waited for the remaining time to elapse in silence. When the timer went off, the shrill ring caused all three of them to jump, even though they’d been expecting it.

“One line means ‘no’, two means ‘yes’,” Elsa reminded. Bulda shushed her.

Anna’s hand shook slightly as she reached into her pocket, pulling out the pregnancy test with so much trepidation that it might as well have been a ticking bomb. She felt she could hear her heart pounding in her skull, and she realised she was holding her breath as she looked down at it. She blinked once, twice, making sure she was definitely reading it correctly. One for ‘no’, two for ‘yes’. She hadn’t made a mistake; two dainty pink lines were staring back at her.

Her voice came out as a whisper. “Shit.” Before the other two could even process the information, Anna had jumped to her feet, storming to the bin to fling the treacherous pregnancy test into it. “Shit, shit, shit, shit, _shit_.”

Bulda and Elsa watched her as she made her way back to them, throwing herself back into her chair and angrily stabbing her fork into the slice of pie.

“Anna-”

“Don’t. Please don’t. You know what? It’s fine. I’m _fine_. At least now we know.”

The bell above the door rang as it opened, and all three of them turned. Bulda quickly got to her feet. “We’re closed, honey- Oh.”

“Well, what a relief.” Anna swallowed a lump that rose in her throat as her husband walked over to them and placed his hands on her shoulders. “You were late. I was getting worried about you, princess, but here I see you ladies are just eating pie.”

Nervously, Anna glanced at the clock. “Hans, I’m sorry, I didn’t realise the time-”

“It’s fine, princess. I was just thinking you were lying in a ditch somewhere, or off with some other man, but nope! Here you are.” His hands slid off her, and he flashed the other two women a hard smile, which they returned with hesitation. “Come on, I’m hungry, let’s go.”

Anna got to her feet. “See you tomorrow, girls.”

They called out their goodbyes in return. Hans’ hand went to her upper arm, gripping it tightly as he guided her forcefully towards the door. He yanked the door open, and possessively snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him as they exited.

To an outsider, it would have appeared as though Anna’s husband was whispering sweet nothings in her ear, maybe pressing a kiss to her cheek. But a shiver ran through her body as he hissed furiously, “Don’t you _ever_ pull another stunt like that, princess. If you ever keep me waiting more than ten minutes from now on, I will see to it that you never see the inside of that café – or your prissy friends – again.”


	2. Doctor Bjorgman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the love on the first chapter! I'm so glad that other people like this concept as much as I do, and I hope that you enjoy the rest of it. I hope to post an update every few days, so keep your eyes peeled for more :)  
> ~ Saturn

The following morning, Anna arrived at The Snøffnug Café early. Only Cliff was there at that time, and he grumbled a low greeting to her as she marched into the kitchen. For all his faults, Anna appreciated that Cliff was never one to pry. It meant she wouldn’t have to talk about whatever was on her mind as long as she was in his company. Anna didn’t want to talk. She wanted to bake.

Lemon meringue pie was one of the first pie recipes Anna mastered. She had learnt to bake it under her mother’s watchful eye, and her recipe had been a favourite of the café’s patrons for years. She carefully prepared the filling, before whipping some meringue mixture furiously. The rhythm of it allowed her to retreat into her thoughts, and she asked herself a very simple question: ‘ _What am I going to do?_ ’

She could abort. It was early days in her pregnancy, and it wouldn’t even be invasive to end it. A couple of pills, and that was that. Gone. She’d never have to tell Hans, and she could go back to normality.

It wasn’t as if she even wanted this baby. They hadn’t been trying, and Anna had never really considered motherhood to be one of her goals. Money was tight as well. Could they even afford this baby? Was it fair to keep it?

And a baby would complicate things – more than they already were. Anna tried to picture Hans as a father, and couldn’t do it. She couldn’t see him cuddling their baby, and helping their child with homework, or teaching fantastic life lessons. It just wasn’t an image she could summon.

Yes, an abortion was the logical solution to her problem. The _only_ solution to her problem.

Her meringue mixture had come together perfectly, and she set it down to taste the pie filling. She pulled a face. It was sour. Far, far, too sour. She sprinkled in some extra sugar and stirred it in. As she stirred, she could have sworn she felt that same sensation of life from within her. It was ludicrous, of course she couldn’t be feeling anything when she was only a month in. The foetus had no limbs to kick her with, not even a heart to beat, and yet she could feel the little life growing inside her.

She finished up the pie quickly, having prepared herself a couple of crusts the day before, and had the pie sliced and put out to serve just before opening time. Elsa and Bulda arrived right on time, and Cliff barked at the waitresses to get some coffee brewing before their early morning customers arrived.

The day’s work was a relief. It kept Anna busy as she darted between tables, taking orders and delivering cups of coffees, plates of sandwiches, and dishes of pie for hours on end. As she worked, she thought. And as she thought, she made a decision about what to do.

Fine, Hans wasn’t going to be a great father, but Anna could be an amazing mother. She would bake and work to provide for them both, bring the baby to the café so she could keep an eye out, and she would cherish and love her child with all her heart. So what if she hadn’t wanted a baby? She’d got one nonetheless.

When her lunch break rolled around, Anna phoned the only doctors’ office in Småby Bend. “Hello,” she said softly to the receptionist when they picked up the phone. “I need to make an appointment, please. I’ve discovered that I’m expecting a baby.”

She gave her name and heard the receptionist typing, then they said, “Okay, your usual doctor is fully booked until next month, but we’ve got a new doctor who’s just transferred who can see you tomorrow. Would you mind seeing a male doctor, or would you rather wait?”

Anna thought for a moment. “No, I don’t mind seeing a man.”

“Alright then, Dr. Bjorgman will see you at three pm tomorrow.”

~

Anna tugged her coat tighter around herself, as if she was trying to hide a bump that wasn’t even showing. She had her uniform on underneath it, her bag over her shoulder, and was carrying a cake tin in one hand. ‘ _Relax_ ,’ she told herself, ‘ _it’s just a check-up’_. She steeled herself, and walked into the reception.

There was only one other patient in the waiting room, an old lady who had been in the café a few times in the past. Anna offered her a warm smile as she sat down opposite her after being checked in. Beside her was a stack of leaflets on the table, and she idly picked one up and started flipping through. She quickly realised that it was about pregnancy, and she shoved it back onto the pile hastily. A blush covered her cheeks as she realised that the lady had seen what she’d been leafing through.

Anna didn’t know why she was so desperate to keep the information a secret. In a few months, there’d be no hiding it, after all. Yet something inside herself wanted to keep it hidden. Maybe she was pretending that it wouldn’t be real if no one else knew.

“Mrs. Westergaard?” Anna was snapped from her reverie by a pleasant voice calling her name.

“Yeah, that’s me. Hi.” She fumbled with her belongings slightly, jumping to her feet clumsily so as not to keep the doctor waiting.

“Right this way, Mrs. Westergaard.” Dr. Bjorgman held open the door for her, and she scurried through, stepping aside so he could lead her to an examination room. Once in the room, he gestured for Anna to take a seat, and sat down opposite her at the computer. She set down her bag and the cake tin at her feet. “So then, Mrs. Westergaard, congratulations on your pregnancy!”

“Oh, just ‘Anna’ is fine,” she hastily interjected. “But thank you.”

“Alright, Anna.” The way he said her name made her cheeks feel warm. “So in this first appointment, I’m just going to ask you a few questions about your lifestyle, health, that sort of thing. And then we’ll take your blood pressure, a couple of blood samples and I’ll need your height and weight. Oh, and I’m afraid you’ll have to pee in the dreaded cup before you leave.” He flashed her a friendly smile, which she returned warmly. She liked this doctor; he had kind eyes, and something about the way he spoke to her made her feel safe.

Most of the questions were very simple. Had she ever been pregnant before? – No. Was she a drinker or a smoker? – Never smoked, rarely drank, but she was a total lightweight when she did. Were there any health issues in herself or her family? – None that she knew of. Where did she live, and was it in good condition? – Literally up the road, and she took pride in using her weekends off for a bit of DIY to maintain the place.

“This feels like a weird job interview,” Anna blurted out after a couple more questions.

Dr. Bjorgman chuckled, and she smiled at the sound. “If it makes you feel more comfortable, I’d hire you! Now, I’m presuming that the father is Mr. Westergaard?”

Anna’s smile dropped at the mention of her husband. “Yes, that’s right.”

“Any health conditions?” Anna hesititated, and realised that the doctor had noticed when he pressed her gently for an answer. “Physical or mental?”

“H- he, um, drinks a lot… I think he might be an alcoholic.”

The doctor nodded, typing something up on the computer. He’d made a note of all of her answers, but this time he was writing for much longer. “Is he receiving any treatment for that? Talk therapy, Alcoholics Anonymous, that sort of thing?”

“No.”

“Alright.” More typing ensued. When he’d finished, he started rummaging through a drawer in the desk, before pulling out a leaflet. “This is some information on alcohol addiction. Just pass it on to your husband if you can. There is no shame in having an addiction; lots of wonderful people can suffer from it. But there are options to get help for it if you know where to ask.” Anna took the leaflet without a word. She knew that he could sense her discomfort, and she was grateful when he smoothly moved on. “I just need to check your blood pressure, so if you could just roll up your sleeve for me.”

Anna stood to slip off her coat and begin uncuffing the sleeve of her dress. When she had it rolled up over her shoulder, she sat back down, turning to offer the doctor her arm. As he slid the blood pressure cuff onto her, he hesitated.

“You’ve got quite a bruise there, Anna.”

“What?” She looked down to see a purple blotch just below her shoulder. It was where Hans had grabbed her the night before when he escorted her from the café. “Oh, look at that. Must have bumped it on a shelf or something. Clumsy me.”

He continued to slide the blood pressure cuff up her arm, before setting it to fill with air. When it was done, he jotted down the result and removed it carefully.

“Anna,” he said seriously. “My job is to work towards the best interests of my patients. And, with that in mind, for the sake of you and your baby, I have to ask you this: did your husband cause the bruise on your arm?”

“I think he just held on a bit too tight,” Anna confessed, her eyes brimming with tears. “I know it wasn’t deliberate.” The tears spilled over and rolled down her cheeks.

Dr Bjorgman handed her a tissue, and stroked a soothing hand over her arm. As she dabbed at her eyes, he went on, “And does he often take hold of you?”

Anna thought of all the times her husband had laid his hands on her. He’d grab at her arms or her waist to pull her out of places he wasn’t happy with her being in. He’d pin her against a wall, or the sofa, or their bed, and mark her with his mouth, whispering the sick truth: “You’re mine.” Sometimes, when he was angry drunk, if she dared to speak back to him, he’d slap her across the face, leaving a stinging sensation for hours afterwards. Occasionally he threw stuff at her – a plate here, beer bottle there – and she wasn’t always quick enough to dodge. Once, one awful night a couple of years before, he’d grabbed her by the neck and pressed his thumbs into her throat. When she’d looked into his eyes, dark from rage and alcohol, she was convinced that he would kill her.

In a dark, hideous place in her mind, she realised what would happen if this conversation continued. Hans would find out that she’d said something, and he would take her somewhere quiet, grasp her by the neck once more, and choke the life out of her. She was sure of it.

“No,” she lied. “No, he doesn’t. He just got a little bit angry the other night, that’s all.”

“Alright.” He scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it to her. “That’s my personal number. This is a safe space, and I promise that I am someone you can trust. If you ever feel unsafe, I don’t care what time it is, you can give me a call.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.” She meant it.

“I’m afraid I have to take a couple of blood samples from you, if that’s alright?” Anna nodded her consent, and he quickly prepared a couple of syringes for it. In an effort to distract her as he sanitised her skin, he asked. “So, tell me a little bit about yourself, Anna. Where do you work?”

“Oh, I work at The Snøffnug Café, near the market square? We serve the best cup of coffee this side of the north mountain!” She was grateful to be off the previous topic. “You should come by sometime! Y’know, er, for a cup of coffee.”

Dr Bjorgman swiftly removed one vial of blood from her, and readied to take another. “And do you have any hobbies?”

“No- oh! Baking, I guess? I bake pies. My mother taught me.”

“Got any special recipes?”

“Yeah,” she replied. “When I was really little, I went through a mermaid phase-”

“-Don’t we all,” he quipped, making her giggle.

“And I made my mother come up with a recipe that we called ‘Mermaid Marshmallow Pie’. It’s got like a cheesecake-style crust, whipped marshmallow, and coconut cream.”

He let out a joking groan, and Anna tried to suppress the ( _highly_ inappropriate) thoughts that sprang to mind at the sound of it. “Sounds amazing. But if these bloods come back with high sugars, I’ll know why.”

She saw that he’d filled three vials of her blood, and was now pressing a cotton pad to where he’d drawn it from. “Wow, I barely even felt that,” she remarked as he carefully applied a plaster over the wound.

“What can I say? I’ve got magic hands.” He seemed to mull over his words for a second, before letting out an awkward cough. Anna noticed that his cheeks were flushed, and it made her blush too. (Was she _sympathy_ blushing now?)

As the appointment wrapped up, Anna put her coat back on, and picked up her bag. “Oh!” she cried, scooping up the cake tin and placing it on the desk. “I made this for you. Um, the receptionist on the phone said that you’d just transferred, so, um, it’s a… ‘Welcome to Småby Bend’ pie.”

The expression on his face was unreadable, but Anna thought it may have been mostly surprise. “That’s very generous of you. No one’s- I mean- Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Dr Bjorgman.”

“Kristoff. I’m- just call me Kristoff. Dr Bjorgman makes me feel old.” He seemed nervous, as he scratched the back of his neck, before shooting her a reassuring smile. “Thank you, again. And congratulations, again, on the pregnancy.”

“Thank you for seeing me. And you can just drop the cake tin off at the café when you’re done with it. It was nice meeting you, Kristoff.”

As she left the room, Kristoff opened the lid of the cake tin. The sweet scent of coconut cream escaped it, and he took in the cheesecake-style crust and neat rows of marshmallows on the top, and smiled to himself when he realised that she’d baked him that special recipe she’d talked about earlier.

It was Mermaid Marshmallow Pie.


	3. Difficult Choices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for this chapter: it contains a scene of domestic violence and verbal abuse. Please protect your mental health!
> 
> Some of you may notice that I've changed the rating of this fic. I was originally planning for it to be a bit smutty, but I've pre-written the chapter where that would be and actually thought that it was better without the explicit content. So it's mature, but it's no longer going to be explicit. Hope you continue to enjoy it nonetheless!
> 
> ~ Saturn

Anna walked out of the doctors’ office quickly. It was chilly, and she stuck her hands in her coat pockets to seek some warmth. Her fingers brushed against two pieces of paper, and she stopped walking, pulling them out of her pocket to look them over.

The alcoholism leaflet was designed to look unthreatening, but Anna knew that in reality it was a grenade with the pin pulled. She knew from past experience what happened if she dared to comment on Hans’ drinking habits, even in passing. It infuriated him, and his fury was always directed at Anna with savage words and strong hands. She’d quickly learned not to broach the topic.

If she brought home that leaflet, told him that he had a problem, and that he needed help, she knew he wouldn’t see it as a kindness. No, he’d see it as a humiliating attack, and would strike back, lashing out at Anna with all the aggression of a raging bull.

It wasn’t as if Anna wasn’t used to Hans’ anger. In truth, after the first few months of their marriage, not a week had gone by where he hadn’t shouted at or hurt her. She was a brave young woman; she could take it. But now, if she let him hurt her, she’d be letting him hurt the baby. A fiercely protective instinct inside her could never allow that to happen.

Walking towards the nearest bin, Anna tore the alcoholism leaflet in half, then into quarters for good measure, before quickly throwing the pieces away. Kristoff’s phone number was still in her hand. She gazed at it for a long moment.

‘ _If you ever feel unsafe, I don’t care what time it is, you can give me a call._ ’

It had been a genuine offer, she knew that. This phone number could be her lifeline. The next time she felt threatened, she could phone this man she barely knew, and he would do everything in his power to come to her rescue.

But what if everything in his power wasn’t enough? Then Hans would know that she had gone behind his back, and nothing would be able to stop his rage then. What if he hunted her down, killing her in cold blood and leaving her child to fend for themselves? Worse – what if hurting Anna wasn’t enough, and he resorted to harming the baby as well? No, she couldn’t risk it.

Anna felt the pinpricks of tears forming in her eyes as she shredded her lifeline in the same way she’d torn the leaflet. After tossing it in the bin, she sucked in a deep breath, and turned to head home.

The journey was a familiar one, and it took her less than five minutes before she arrived at the doorstep, swiftly turning the key and stepping inside. On autopilot, she turned to close the door behind her, closing her eyes and allowing herself a few moments more of peace.

“Where the _fuck_ have you been?” Hans’ voice, cold and hateful, caused her to spin around.

“At the café-”

“-No.” He stepped closer, and Anna could smell the stench of alcohol rolling off his tongue in waves. “I called the café. They said you left at two thirty. It’s half four, Anna. So, where the fuck have you been?”

“I-” She wasn’t sure what she was going to tell him. Should she lie? Or would the truth be better? “I’m sorry,” she mumbled in lieu of making a decision.

Hans stormed towards her, shoving her backwards and grabbing her jaw firmly in his hands. She let out a yelp as the door handle jabbed into her back, but he didn’t let up. He twisted her head at an uncomfortable angle, and he leaned in close to her to shout, “Where the fuck where you, Anna? With some other man? Huh? You think you can fuck some other man and I wouldn’t know?”

“I didn’t- I wasn’t-” Anna felt panic rising in her as his other hand snaked into her hair, pulling it hard so she stood no chance of getting away.

“ _Don’t lie to me!_ ” he hissed. His voice was full of venom.

“Hans, please-”

“You stupid fucking _bitch_! I give you a roof over your head, food on your table, clothes on your back, and you think you can just _betray_ me?” He spat at her. Anna felt it running down her cheek but didn’t dare move to wipe it away.

He released her hair and jaw, but Anna didn’t feel any sense of relief. She felt only a sickening dread as she saw him pulling back his fist, which was aimed squarely at her face. Her eyes squeezed shut and her hands flew up to protect herself as she screamed out, “Hans, no, I’m pregnant!”

The blow never came.

Limbs trembling, Anna opened her eyes in time to see his fist lower. She followed suit, dropping her hands. “We’re going to have a baby,” she whispered. “I was at the doctors to make sure everything’s okay.”

“Oh, princess.” Anna couldn’t help but flinch as he reached for her, placing his hands on her stomach. “This is amazing.” She felt the urge to move away as he knelt down in front of her, giving her belly a drunken kiss. “This is going to fix us, princess, you’ll see.”

His words surprised her. She hadn’t thought that he was aware that the pair of them needed to be fixed. Maybe he could be a great dad after all. She sank to her knees as well, joining him on the floor. Hans’ pulled her into a hug, and she prayed to whatever God might have been listening that he hadn’t felt her shudder at his touch.

“I need you to promise me something.” Hans didn’t wait for her to answer. “I need you to promise me that you won’t love the baby more than you love me.”

Anna stiffened, and tried to recover herself before he felt it. He was too close to her now to allow her body to get carried away with its reactions. Did she love Hans? It was true that she had done, once. They wouldn’t be married now if that was the case. And she knew that she could love him just as much if he reverted back to who he was when they were younger – charming, sweet, and utterly devoted to her. But the version of Hans that she’d come to know was not the man she fell in love with. He terrified her.

She knew that there was only one answer that she could give in that moment, and she felt her fingers cross ever so slightly, out of sight. “I promise,” she whispered. In truth, as they embraced on the floor of the hallway, Anna thought that this was the closest to loving him that she’d felt in years.

“This is going to change everything for us, princess,” he whispered into her hair.

“Yes,” she murmured back. “I think it will.”

~

Almost a week later, Anna was carefully arranging a display of pies in the chilled cabinet beside the till of The Snøffnug Café. She and Hans had no further arguments since she’d told him the news, and the subsequent contentment within her had inspired her to craft all sorts of sweet pies, which had delighted her customers.

Well, all her customers except Elsa, who was absolutely frantic with nerves for a date she’d arranged with a woman she met online. For as long as she had known her, Elsa had been a decidedly anxious woman, and the dating profile that Bulda set up for her a few months before had only elevated that anxiety. As Anna worked, she could hear Bulda talking their friend through her third panic attack of the day in the kitchen.

The bell chimed just as Anna finished slicing a key lime pie to place in the cabinet. She glanced up at the sound, offering the customer a quick greeting before she recognised who it was.

“Oh, Kristoff! Hi.” She wasn’t entirely sure why she felt so nervous, and given the curious looks she received from both Elsa and Bulda, it wasn’t just in her head.

She smiled warmly as Kristoff strode over to her. He really was very handsome. In an outfit as simple as jeans and a jumper, Anna realised he’d captured the attention of every woman in the cosy dining area. She couldn’t help but feel the warmth of pride as she also realised that out of all the women in the room, he was only paying attention to her.

“Hi, Anna. How are you feeling?”

“Feeling? Oh, with the- good. I mean, I’m feeling good.”

He chuckled, and she honestly could have kicked herself in the shin. Fortunately, he didn’t see the blush that crept to her cheeks, because he’d turned to the display cabinet and was admiring her creations hungrily.

“What can I get for you?”

“Get for me? Ah.” Anna couldn’t help the smile that came to her face as he so perfectly mirrored her confusion from earlier. “Actually, I came to give you this. Back. Give it _back_ … to you.” Fumbling, he placed the cake tin she’d delivered the pie in the other day onto the counter. Anna thanked him, taking the container and placing it on a shelf behind her with other jars and tins on it. When she turned back to him, he was looking decidedly sheepish. “I have a secret to tell you, Anna. I finished that pie three days ago but I held on to the tin until today so you wouldn’t judge me for eating it all so fast.”

To her credit, Anna did manage not to giggle for at least two seconds. “Well, doctor, if you liked that Mermaid Marshmallow Pie so much, can I interest you in a slice of Treacle Tart? Seems like you love sweet things.”

“You got me,” he grinned. “Can I get that to go, please? I have an appointment in ten minutes.”

Anna swiftly placed the slice into a cardboard container, fastening it shut with a couple of snowflake stickers. She rang him up, and he moved to the door, before turning back to her with a smile.

“It was great seeing you, Anna. I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”

Then he was gone, and before she knew it, Anna was being bundled into the kitchen by a very excited-looking Bulda. Anna hadn’t realised that she and Elsa were even done with the pre-date anxiety attack.

“And just _what_ was that?” she all but squealed. “Wait, first, _who_ was that?”

“That’s Kristoff,” Anna replied, confused. “Dr Bjorgman. He’s my doctor. For the baby.”

“Well, judging by the way he was looking at you, Anna, I’d say he’s willing to take _very good_ care of you.”

Shocked, Anna hit her arm lightly. “Bulda! That is so inappropriate! He’s my _doctor_.”

“He’s very handsome,” Elsa said wistfully.

Bulda let out a hearty laugh at her friend’s embarrassment. “Look, honey, you don’t see it yet, and that’s fine. But you will, Miss Anna. You definitely will.”

A shout from outside the kitchen got their attention. “Are you three gonna come back out here any time soon, or should I put on an apron and do your jobs for you?” Anna couldn’t tell if Cliff was genuinely angry at them. He could sound angry while cooing at a kitten.

Bulda either knew he wasn’t annoyed, or didn’t care if he was, as she snarked back, “You should. And while you’re at it, try on one of these dresses. You’d look lovely in blue.”

They shared a hushed laugh at Cliff’s expense, as they heard him grumbling something incoherent outside. “We’d better go, before His Majesty decides to come in here and drag us out by our ears.”

Bulda was still chuckling quietly to herself as she and Elsa left Anna alone in the kitchen to consider her earlier words.


	4. Ancient History

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi folks, apologies for leaving it so long between chapters - it's been a bit of a manic weekend! (The exact reason I never set scheduled upload days - life has a habit of getting in the way!) I hope this chapter is worth the wait. Thank you so much for your support on this so far, It's always greatly appreciated! :)
> 
> ~ Saturn

The waiting room’s seats were hard and cold, and Anna found herself reflecting on how unwelcoming that felt as a patient. She was feeling nervous about what the upcoming appointment might reveal about the health of her and her baby, and her mind raced with apprehensive thoughts of what was to come with the pregnancy, and eventual child. The last thing she needed right now was an uncomfortable chair.

“Anna Westergaard?” Kristoff’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she got to her feet to follow him.

As they settled into their respective seats, Anna basked in the feeling of friendly familiarity she found herself experiencing with him. He’d been coming into The Snøffnug Café at least once a week for a slice of pie, cup of coffee, and a quick chat with Anna and the other two waitresses. Even Cliff had begun to give the doctor a friendly greeting and occasional discount when he visited.

“How are you doing today, Anna?” he asked her, friendly but professional.

“I’m doing alright. I feel good, no uncomfortable symptoms. Well, a little bit of morning sickness, but it’s not severe or anything.”

He nodded as he quickly typed up some notes on her answer. “The sonographer at the hospital forwarded me a copy of your scan – did you decide to find out the sex or are you keeping it as a surprise?”

“I don’t want to know,” Anna replied. “I just call it- uh, them ‘baby’.” Her hand subconsciously made its way to her belly, where a small bump was beginning to surface, just little enough for it to still be her secret, though she knew that would soon change.

“Alright, ‘baby’ it is.” His eyes were twinkling with the knowledge of a secret, and Anna couldn’t help but smile. “If you could just hop on the bed for me, and I’ll have a quick measure so we can see how baby’s growing.”

No one would have ever accused Anna of being graceful, and she demonstrated that perfectly as she clumsily mounted the bed. She tried not to move the paper that had been placed down on it, and as a result her movements looked as awkward as they felt. Kristoff was kind enough to pretend not to notice, but Anna couldn’t help but grimace inwardly.

To distract herself from the embarrassment she felt, Anna found herself asking, “So what made you transfer to Småby Bend anyway? You’ve never said.”

Kristoff had just turned to her after rummaging in his desk drawers for a tape measure, and Anna noticed the flicker of hesitation that came across his features. He quickly recovered though, and she thought she might have made it up.

“Oh, it’s kind of a long story. I’ll try to give you the Sparknotes version.” They shared a grin, and he quickly asked her permission to lift her top so he could measure her tummy. She consented, and he went on, “I, uh, I’m actually married. I don’t wear the ring anymore because we’re… separated, I guess? We got married just after I qualified, so like two years ago. Which is a very short time to be married, but apparently long enough for her to realise that she’d actually rather be with someone else, so…”

Anna kept silent as he spoke. His hands on her stomach were warm, and ever so gentle as he carefully measured the small bump from top to bottom. She felt her heart beating faster as he leaned in close to read the numbers on the tape measure. Nervously, she suppressed that feeling as far to the back of her mind as she possibly could.

“I didn’t even see it coming.” He laughed, but there was a great sadness in it. “She just came home from work one day, told me she didn’t love me anymore, and that she was leaving me to be with her best friend.”

In a whisper, Anna let out a soft: “I am so sorry.”

He shook his head. “Don’t be. It was for the best. She’s happier now than she ever was with me, and it’s better to have split up early than to keep up a façade for decades. But I couldn’t stay where we’d started to build a life together, so I went looking for a new job, and it turned out that Småby Bend was in need of a doctor, so here I am!” He paused, glancing up at her in a way that made her think that he was debating whether or not to carry on. “I like it here. It’s a beautiful little town, and it’s got everything I need. The people here are… really lovely as well.” Anna couldn’t ignore the warmth in his expression, but she dismissed the notion that it was for her.

“For what it counts, I’m glad you ended up here.” She meant it.

Standing upright, Kristoff cleared his throat. “Baby’s growing perfectly. Just the size I’d expect them to be at this stage.” He turned around so she could readjust her top to cover her tummy up again, and she heard him typing up something into her notes once more. When he finished, he reached for a blood pressure cuff and turned back to her. “We can take your blood pressure while you’re still lying down, it’s easier for you.”

Not for the first time, Anna recognised how respectful and caring he was towards her. Of course, he was a doctor, so it was to be expected, but she still appreciated how he respected her body and her privacy, and wanted to make these appointments as non-invasive and easy as possible. Her instincts had told her the first time she met him that he was someone she was safe with. Maybe it was that sense of safety, or the idea that she had to reciprocate his honesty, but she started to speak.

“Hans wasn’t always a drinker. We started dating in high school, so obviously he wasn’t drinking then. I’d had a crush on him for years; he was so handsome, and sweet, and funny.” She smiled to herself. “When he asked me out, I thought I was so happy that I thought I was going to faint. He was so nice to me, you wouldn’t believe. My mama died when I was sixteen, and he was right there to support me through it. What teenage boy can take that responsibility?

“Did you know Småby Bend used to have a cloth manufacturer? It was a factory for knitting wools and fleeces and stuff for blankets.” Kristoff nodded that he knew what she was referring to, and Anna went on, “Hans worked there after graduation, six days a week for seven whole years. It paid for our wedding, for the house, and all the little things we needed. And I worked in the café, just to keep myself busy more than anything.

“The businesses that used the factory’s supplies weren’t happy with their profit margins, though. Not only could they get the same material cheaper from elsewhere, but we’re so ‘middle of nowhere’ that we were really hard for them to get to so they could pick up their stuff. So more and more companies stopped buying from Småby Bend, and eventually they just closed the factory altogether.

“We’d only been married for two months, but after that, Hans was miserable. He felt useless, like a failure, and he used to have a drink every night to take the edge off his worrying. Then he started drinking through the day too, and now I think he drinks more beers than he does water.”

Kristoff hadn’t moved while she was telling him all this, but he carefully stepped towards her now to begin sliding the blood pressure cuff up her arm.

“It’s been four years since the factory closed. Now he’s got a job at the garage, but he still drinks every day. Sometimes I think that he couldn’t stop even if he wanted to anymore. It makes him angry. The world makes him angry; he feels lost, and not himself, I can tell. And I make him angry sometimes. Some of the things I say, or do, just… I piss him off. I don’t mean to, but I do.”

She was finished, and she knew that Kristoff picked up on that, although he didn’t say anything. In silence, he filled the cuff with air, before taking the reading and going to write it down.

“Your- the reading suggests that your blood pressure is a little low,” he said eventually. “It shouldn’t be too serious, but just to make you aware.”

“Okay, thank you,” she answered politely. She didn’t like this new way they were speaking to each other. It felt so professional, so distant. “I brought you a pie,” she told him at last. “‘Death by Chilli Chocolate’. It’s a new recipe I’m testing out, so I want to know what you think of it.”

“I’ll be sure to stop by with my critiques.” He smiled at her, and she basked in the warmth of it. “That’s it for today, you can hop down whenever you’re ready.”

She got up quickly, too quickly. The dizziness hit her like a sack of bricks, and she felt herself losing her balance. The ground seemed to be galloping up towards her as the room spun, and she cried out as she realised that she was falling.

Strong arms on her own helped her to regain her balance. Kristoff’s grip was firm as he steadied her, and her dizziness slowly receded as he held her upright. She looked up at his face, meeting his concerned gaze as she came back to herself.

“Are you alright?” he asked worriedly.

“I’m fine. Thank you.” She made no move to step away from him, and neither did he.

They could have pretended that they stayed that close for that long simply because they were concerned. He could say that he was keeping hold of her to make sure she was fully recovered before he let go. She could have said that she still felt dizzy, and she needed his strength to steady her.

But that wouldn’t have explained why his hand went to her face, gently brushing aside a piece of hair that had come loose when she lost her balance. That gentleness was magnetic to Anna. She stepped closer to him, so close she could feel his breath on her.

“Anna,” he murmured, “You deserve so much more than a husband who doesn’t realise how lucky he is to have you.”

She didn’t reply. She didn’t even think. Instead, she moved her hands to his shoulders, rising to tip-toe even as he leaned down towards her. Kristoff’s hand cupped her face and his arm wrapped around her waist, pressing her closer to him and making butterflies flutter in her stomach. Her heart was pounding, and the room was spinning for an entirely different reason than before. It felt as though every moment in her life had been leading to this one, here, with her leaning in desperately to kiss Kristoff Bjorgman.

A knock on the door caused them to jump apart mere milliseconds before their lips met.

“Come in,” Kristoff called, startled but recovering now that they were separate.

A nurse opened the door, and Anna didn’t hear a word they said as she fumbled with her bag, placing the cake tin she’d brought for him on his desk. Her fingers were shaking as she buttoned up her coat, and when the nurse left, she all but ran from the room.


	5. A Bad Idea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys I am so proud to say that I have just finished writing the final chapter for this fic so I can absolutely promise that it won't be abandoned if you're enjoying it! I'm quite happy with what I have, but for now, I am delighted to share the next chapter with you! :D
> 
> ~ Saturn

When Anna arrived at The Snøffnug Café the following morning, she was surprised when Cliff called her over for an actual conversation instead of his usual simple greeting. He was holding something in his hand.

“I went over to Arendelle on the train yesterday.” Anna nodded at his statement; she remembered him mentioning he was going to visit his niece. “There was a lady handing out these flyers. At first, I was going to tell her to fuck off, but then I looked at it and well, I thought of you. Here.”

He thrust it towards her, and she took it gingerly, wondering what it could possibly say to make Cliff think of her. “‘Arendelle Fair: Baking Contest’,” she read aloud. She looked up at him, genuinely touched that he had thought to bring this to her.

“First prize is $50,000. If I could make more than toast, I’d enter myself.” Anna was shocked to hear him chuckle to himself. Cliff had been her boss since she was eighteen, and she could count the number of times she’d heard him laugh on one hand.

“Yeah, but the entrance fee is $200!” she read, eyes opening wide. “I don’t have that sort of money just lying around.”

She was already moving to put the flyer to one side, giving up on even the possibility of entering, when Cliff pressed, “Anna, the closing date for applications isn’t until April. That’s three months away. You’ve got time to save up.”

Anna was still feeling extremely reluctant, but she appreciated the effort Cliff had taken to give this to her, so she carefully folded it and slid it into her apron pocket. “I’ll think about it,” she conceded.

“You do that.” It was the closest she’d ever heard him come to sounding gentle. “But how about doing some _work_ while you’re thinking about it? Come on, pies don’t bake themselves.”

Anna allowed herself to smile as he snapped back to his normal self. “Yes, Cliff, I’ll get right to it.” She turned back to him when she reached the kitchen door. “And thank you.”

In response, she got only a disgruntled grumble, but she knew what sentiment lay behind it.

For the pie that day, Anna decided to create a filling from strawberries and rhubarb. It would be sweet, with a bit of tang to it to balance it out. With practised hands, she set off the soup stewing on the stove and started to prepare the dough. The fruits were fragrant, and Anna allowed herself to focus on it as she worked, tossing in ingredients without the need to measure. She knew exactly how much was needed by now.

Her mind wandered to Kristoff, and the day before. As she’d hurried home, she’d told herself that it was her who moved to kiss him. He had showed no interest, and she, full of pregnancy hormones, had tried to take advantage of the situation and the man who’d done nothing but care for her. She thought she was pathetic, and desperate, and was humiliated with herself.

But now, as her mind was cleared by the sharp scent of stewing rhubarb and sweet strawberries, she remembered how he held her. How his arm felt around her waist, how his hand had cupped her face so tenderly. She remembered that he had made the first move, when he moved her hair. No, it hadn’t been the one-sided act of a pathetic woman. It was the shared passion of two people brought together under hopeless circumstances.

She was so absorbed in what she was doing that at first she didn’t notice the commotion in the adjoining room. It was Elsa’s cry of, “Please, just take your bouquet and get out!” that snapped her out of it.

Anna hurried to the door to see everyone gawking at Elsa at one end of the room, and a dark-haired woman at the other. Bulda was wearing a shit-eating grin, and Anna couldn’t help but mirror it as she realised what was happening.

After Elsa’s date the other night, she had gushed to the pair of them about how incredible it had been. The woman she’d met – Honeymaren, Anna vaguely recollected – had been charming, and funny, and beautiful, and Elsa said that she’d felt a ‘spark’ with a dreamy look on her face. Bulda’s throwaway remark of “Sounds serious,” had been the thing that set off Elsa’s anxiety once more.

What if Honeymaren realised that Elsa wasn’t good enough? What if the brunette was a serial killer and Elsa her next victim? What if they got married and were unequivocally happy forever?

Elsa had blanched, and couldn’t form a message to send to her date. And now, it seemed that if Honeymaren wasn’t going to hear from Elsa online, she was determined enough to turn up at the café to speak to her in person.

“Elsa, listen,” Honeymaren stated. “I am going to sit down in this chair.” As she spoke, she pulled out the chair in question and perched herself on it. “I’m just an ordinary customer. You don’t even have to serve me; you can get your co-workers to do it. But, when you have a minute, I just want to talk. No pressure. Just talking.”

Anna watched Elsa’s tension ease slightly, and felt impressed. Honeymaren understood the delicate blonde, and seemed to know how to get through to her. She was sitting in her chair, reading her menu, and adding no pressure on Elsa at all. The other customers turned back to their own tables, realising that the show was over. Anna realised the same, and turned to go back to her pie, pausing at the café’s phone as she remembered her thoughts earlier.

“Hello,” she said softly when the receptionist picked up. “I need an appointment to see Dr Bjorgman, please. Today, if possible. It’s important.”

~

Kristoff’s concern was palpable as he sat opposite her at the computer.

“What’s wrong? The receptionist said it was urgent.”

Now that she was here, Anna felt extremely stupid. Kristoff had other patients, and she was keeping him from them for the sake of a _conversation_. “I- I’m fine. I just wanted to talk to you… about yesterday.”

He cleared his throat, and Anna saw a hint of a blush appear on his face. “We can pretend that nothing happened. Nothing- nothing _did_ happen. It’s not even pretending! I didn’t breach any codes of conduct-”

Somehow, his nervous confirmation that they had shared a ‘moment’ yesterday reassured her. “Kristoff.” She silenced his rambling. “I don’t- I don’t want to pretend that nothing happened. If no one came in yesterday, something would have happened. And I don’t think I would have minded.” She heard his breath hitch, and she reached for his hands, pulling him to his feet as she stood up. “Please, let this happen.”

She leaned up as she had done yesterday, and relief flooded her as Kristoff leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

They were soft, she noticed, and just as gentle as he always was with her. She stepped forward, pressing closer to him as her hands let go of his and wandered over his back, stroking at his shoulders, and tangling her fingers in his hair.

He shivered at her touch on his scalp, and his hands went to her waist, gripping the soft skin there softly through her uniform dress. She let out a soft sigh, and he hummed lightly against her lips as she tugged on his hair gently.

Anna had heard people talking about time standing still, but she never understood it until this moment.

When they pulled apart, their cheeks were flushed, and Anna noticed with some pride that they were both rather breathless. Tenderly, he leaned down to press his forehead to her own. Anna hadn’t felt such genuine affection for years, and she couldn’t help but whisper, “This is such a bad idea,” even as her arms wrapped tighter around his neck.

“I agree, it’s a terrible idea.”

“We’re both married.” It wasn’t far for Anna to tilt her chin, pressing a series of kisses against his throat, and making him groan. “And you’re my doctor.”

His hand ran up her spine in a way that made her skin tingle all over. “And you’re _pregnant_.” Anna felt the palms of his hands on her cheeks, and his thumbs ghosted over either side of her jaw, before he pulled her into another passionate kiss.

Anna didn’t know what came over her as her hands rose to his chest, unbuttoning his shirt even as she pushed him backwards towards the examination bed. With Kristoff, she always felt safe, but now she felt a rush of confidence and desire that had apparently made her totally lose any semblance of self-composure.

Kristoff let her fumble with his buttons as his hands moved to her ass, squeezing firmly and making her gasp and giggle against his lips. Suddenly he broke away, allowing her lips to leave little pecks along his jawline even as his hands covered her own and ceased her undressing.

“Anna-” he whispered hoarsely. “We can’t do this here. The door doesn’t lock, and anyone could see.” She stilled, and he let go of her hands to swiftly cross the room. She felt bereft without his body pressed against her own.

Anna had chance to regain her senses as she watched him writing something down, tearing off the sheet from his notepad when he was done. He smiled at her softly as he strode back to her and pressed it into her hands.

“This is my address. I know we can’t set an actual time, your husband-” She grimaced, and he quickly sidestepped that thought. “Whenever you can get away without being seen, please come. We won’t be disturbed there.”

Anna folded the paper carefully and placed it in her pocket with the flyer for the pie contest. It reminded her of the day a few months earlier when she’d had an alcoholism leaflet and a phone number instead. Only this time, she wasn’t going to throw either of them away.

He softly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and she smoothed her own fingers through his, taming the flyaways and tangles she’d caused. “Hey, this way, you have a chance to talk yourself out of this dreadful idea.”

She laughed, helping him to rebutton his shirt. “Something tells me that I won’t.”

Before she left, he pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. Anna found her hand brushing against the spot as she walked out into the already-darkening evening.

She didn’t think that it was wise to bring home the flyer, and it certainly wasn’t wise to bring home the address. She knew that Hans did occasionally check her pockets, and that risk was too great for her to risk it.

Instead, she decided to return to the café, and use the spare key behind a loose brick by the door to let herself in. There were some cookbooks in the kitchen that would make a good hiding place for her to tuck her precious papers into.

As she had expected, The Snøffnug Café was in darkness as she approached it. The key was right where she knew it would be, and she unlocked the door, using her phone as a torch as she stepped inside. When she switched on the lights once she got inside, she froze in the doorway in shock. “Oh my god!” she cried as she took in the image in front of her.

On one of the booths against the far wall, Bulda was perched precariously. And beneath – or, more accurately, _within_ – her was Cliff.

They were just as shocked to see her as she was to see them, and Anna scurried into the kitchen as they sprang apart. After a few moments, Anna heard Cliff tell Bulda to lock up, before the bell rang and he made his exit.

“Anna-” Bulda’s voice was unusually hesitant as she walked into the kitchen.

“You, you- with Cliff?”

“Very articulate, sweetie.” Bulda let out a soft laugh, covering her face. “Oh god. I can’t believe it.”

“Bulda, your husband-”

“-Has been sleeping with Gerda from the pharmacy for months. Anna, don’t you dare judge me. Don’t you _dare_.” The anger in her tone caused Anna to pause. Bulda’s hands dropped from her face, and she looked commanding and certain.

Anna’s voice came as a whisper. “I’m sorry.”

“Listen, I don’t want you to think that this is something that I do a lot. Cliff is the first man besides my husband that I have been with in _years_. I’m not the one who started it; in fact it wouldn’t have happened in the first place if Kai and Gerda hadn’t been so fucking blatant about what they were up to. No, I didn’t plan for this to happen, but it did, and you know what? I don’t regret a single second of it.

“I’ve been seeing Cliff since before Christmas, and it’s made me feel alive again, Anna. I know that cheating is wrong, blah, blah, blah. I don’t care. I deserve to feel alive. I deserve it.” The older woman’s eyes filled with tears.

“I understand, Bulda.”

For the first time that evening, Bulda took in Anna’s appearance. Her lips were slightly swollen from kisses, and her cheeks were still flushed. Her eyes sparkled with the kind of joy and excitement that she hadn’t seen in her friend for years. “For what it’s worth, Anna, you deserve to feel alive too.”

Anna took a deep breath before she said her next words. “I know.” Then, she smiled at Bulda, and asked her to grab one of Anna’s recipe books from the shelf. Anna opened the book to the page titled ‘Mermaid Marshmallow Pie’ in her own neat handwriting, and Bulda watched in silence as she placed the pie contest flyer inside. When Anna placed the address on top of it, Bulda’s face went from curiosity, to realisation, to a delighted grin.

“That’s my girl,” she murmured proudly.


	6. No Going Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooo!  
> This chapter was originally supposed to be smutty, but I ended up preferring it being 'implied sex' rather than 'explicit sex'. I hope you like it too!  
> ~ Saturn

It was only a couple of days before Anna was able to leave the house late one night. In a drunken stupor, Hans had fallen asleep well before her, and she knew that he wouldn’t have woken if she set off a siren in his ear. Now was her chance, and she wouldn’t squander it.

She’d had plenty of opportunities to rethink paying Kristoff a visit, to decide that the risk was too great, or that she loved her husband after all and couldn’t bear to go through with this betrayal. Instead, she’d worked on memorising Kristoff’s address as she pored over pie fillings and pastry, and daydreamed about what would happen when she finally got her chance to escape to him.

Despite Hans’ heavy snoring, she was careful and quiet as she opened the door and slipping outside, locking it behind her. It was the middle of the night, and Anna knew that no one was going to be around, but she kept her head low and her coat’s hood up as she walked nonetheless. If anyone saw her, she’d tell them she couldn’t sleep and had stepped out for some fresh air. No one would ever know the truth.

The streets of Småby Bend were familiar to her, and she made her way quickly to the street she’d memorised from Kristoff’s address. It wasn’t far; maybe just a ten-minute walk. She had ten minutes to stop herself. Ten minutes in which she could turn back at any time. And yet she pressed on.

She knew with absolute certainty that she knew which house number belonged to him, and yet she hesitated at the door. What if this was all just some sick joke and he’d given her the wrong address? Worse, what if it was an elaborate plan to show Hans that his distrust of her had been well-placed all these years? If Hans knew she had come here, Anna felt certain that she wouldn’t survive his wrath.

But Kristoff was so caring. He was gentle, and tender. And when he kissed her, she felt something she hadn’t experienced in years. Anna thought of Bulda’s words: ‘ _You deserve to feel alive_.’ She quietly rapped on the door.

“Anna?” Kristoff asked as he pulled the door open.

“Yeah, it’s me. Hi.”

He smiled at her softly. “Hi. Do you- would you like-” He sighed at himself and opened the door wider as Anna giggled. “Come in.”

She stepped into the house, watching almost sheepishly as Kristoff closed the door behind her. He turned back to her, and for a moment they just watched each other in silence. Finally, Kristoff said, “I don’t know what we do now.”

A surprised bubble of laughter escaped Anna’s throat before she could register to stop it, and she was relieved to see that Kristoff was chuckling as well. “Me neither,” she admitted to him. She stepped closer, taking his hand in her own. “Let’s just start slow.”

He nodded in agreement. “Can I kiss you?”

In answer, Anna wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her and pressing her lips to his. In her head, she’d imagined it being a bit smoother than it was in reality, but Kristoff didn’t seem to mind being bashed around a bit as he returned her kiss eagerly.

Anna threaded her fingers through the shorter strands of hair at Kristoff’s neck, and he groaned against her at the sensation. She felt his hands on her back, softly running up her spine in a way that made her shiver and sigh.

She pulled away to catch her breath, and Kristoff pressed a couple of sloppy kisses to her neck. Her head fell back as she enjoyed the feeling of knowing that all his attention was on her. Hans hadn’t shown her this much affection since he lost his job, and she hadn’t realised how much she missed this feeling until now.

Eagerly, her hands slid to his hips, dipping under his t-shirt to touch the toned flesh that lay underneath. A surge of pride shot through her when she felt him shudder at her touch, and she tugged at the shirt until he took the hint and ceased his attentions on her neck to step back and raise his arms. She pulled it over his shirt, recovering as smoothly as she could when it caught on his chin, and briefly wondered whether it would be polite to fold it slightly and put it on the nearby table. Luckily, she didn’t have the chance to embarrass herself by doing so, as Kristoff took it from her hands and tossed it to the floor behind them.

Anna took a moment to appreciate his strong arms, his muscular torso, and the light tan that graced his skin. He had a layer of fine hair on his chest, which was soft beneath her fingers as her hands moved to his chest just as she leaned in to place a series of kisses along his collarbone.

He reached for her, grasping at her firmly as he lifted her into the air. Startled, Anna reacted by wrapping her legs around his waist and clinging on to her shoulders for dear life. She laughed into his neck at her own reaction, and she felt him chuckling into her hair as he moved to press her back against the nearest wall.

As his body pressed against hers, Anna felt a pang of fear at the back of her mind. She felt suddenly vulnerable, trapped. This feeling of being under Kristoff’s control was bringing up memories of Hans belittling, bullying, and beating her without mercy. She tried to shake it off, to remember that was Kristoff, and she was safe with him.

Sensing that something had changed, Kristoff paused. “Anna, are you alright?”

In over a decade-long relationship, Hans hadn’t asked her that question once. Not as she had become quiet and reserved, not when she stiffened at his touch, not when her eyes were puffy and her nose was red and her cheeks were still damp with tears. Even when she had been so obviously not alright, he didn’t check on her in the way Kristoff just had, and all Kristoff had to go off was a dampening to her enthusiasm.

And that made all the difference to Anna. She felt seen, respected, and safe for the first time in years. If she hadn’t already made up her mind, that moment of gentle concern for her would have solidified her decision.

“Yes,” she breathed. “I’m better than alright.”

“You’re sure? We can stop whenever, hell, feel free to just slap me across the face if I go too far-”

She silenced his nervous chattering with a kiss that was heavy with desire. She grinded her hips against him, smiling when he groaned slightly and she felt just how much he wanted her. The sound awakened something in her. She felt confident, and sexy, and she was determined that he would know it.

Her breath ghosted across his ear as she whispered hotly, “Let’s move this to the bedroom.”

Given the pace at which he carried her there, Kristoff was all too happy to oblige.

~

The weeks that followed fell into a routine that was far from perfect, but one Anna was happy to stick to.

In the mornings, she’d arrive at the café early, and set to work on the pies for that day. Her flavour inspirations had turned her to sweet combinations. The Snøffnug Café’s customers came to expect that there would always be a perfectly formed fruit pie served with heavy cream, or a salted caramel or peanut butter tart with a dollop of whipped cream on the top, or a rich chocolatey dessert drizzled with a fudge sauce that melted in the mouth.

Most afternoons, Anna would see Honeymaren seated in her usual seat, asking for coffee refills as often as she could just to give Elsa an excuse to talk with her. Elsa had always had niche interests; the woman could talk about architecture, the American revolution, and astrology for hours. On more than one occasion, Anna saw Honeymaren reading a book on any of these topics and more, and Anna was delighted to see someone making such an effort to engage in her friend’s interests and really get to know her.

Since that first day when Honeymaren arrived, Elsa had mellowed considerably, and anyone could see the attraction and affection that existed between the two women. They were taking it slow, so were reluctant to call each other their ‘girlfriend’ yet, but Anna knew that it was only a matter of time.

She would smile to herself whenever Bulda made a quick-witted comment to Cliff, knowing now the flirtation that lay behind it, and the reason she was never scolded too harshly. On her way out of the café when it was time for closing, she would notice every time Bulda and Cliff made an excuse to stay behind, and would shoot both of them a knowing look as she left to give them privacy. Bulda had separated from her husband for good when she’d come home to find that his lack of discretion had surpassed all expectations and he’d taken Gerda to bed right when his wife’s shift ended. Anna didn’t understand why Bulda and Cliff didn’t just openly admit to being together, but she supposed that the excitement of having a secret was too good for them to give up just yet.

Anna saved money wherever she could. When Hans asked how much she’d earned in tips that day, she always gave an answer that was about five dollars short. That way, when he counted the money she gave him after work, he was blissfully unaware of some missing money. Anna had taken to hiding it wherever she could – taped under drawers, stuffed in the cushions on the sofa, tucked into a box of laundry detergent. She was careful, and organised, and she was only around twenty dollars short of her entry fee for the Arendelle Pie Contest, with over two weeks until the deadline for entries. She knew she was going to make it.

Hans hadn’t raised a hand to her in over five months. Anna knew that it was terrible that it had happened with such frequency before then, that her husband could even consider hurting her, but she couldn’t help but feel grateful to him for refraining from it. The beautiful little bump (which was now rather visible, though she still had two months until her due date), had the effect of making Hans gentler, less reactive. He didn’t care if he hurt Anna, that much was true. But it seemed that he cared if he hurt baby, and that had granted Anna a calm reprieve.

As often as once a week, Hans’ drinking would cause him to pass out, sprawled sloppily over their bed, or the sofa, and once, the kitchen floor. And when that happened, Anna would leave the house in the dead of night, softly knock on Kristoff’s door, and experience pleasure like she’d never felt before.

In the months since their first night together, Anna had mapped every inch of Kristoff’s body. She had counted all his freckles, could draw the outline of a birthmark on his hip from memory, and had delighted in discovering what he called a ‘regrettable’ heart tattoo in a rather tender spot. And he knew her body just as intimately; Anna thought there wasn’t a place on her that hadn’t been explored by his hands or his mouth.

She had pulled a symphony of sounds from him, and knew exactly how to touch him when she wanted to hear her favourites. As she grew in confidence with him, she grew in volume, and learned that all it took was a skilled set of hands to have her keening and moaning without a care of who could hear. And Kristoff was all too willing to coax out sounds from her that she hadn’t known she could even produce.

Anna grew to recognise the smell of his skin, and delighted when it lingered in her hair or clothes hours after she left. She was lucky that Hans was too much of a drunken fool to notice how his wife had begun to take on the sweet, musky scent of another man, one who was far more adept at pleasing and satisfying her every desire.

Afterwards, when they lay together in Kristoff’s bed, breathless, and sweaty, and sated for the time being, Anna thought that the sensation of being held and having someone whisper sweet nothings and idle chatter in her ears was better than anything else. There was a sweet comfort and familiarity in having Kristoff’s strong arms wrapped around her, his hands resting lightly on her belly. There in the afterglow, they would discuss everything from their childhoods, to their life’s ambitions, to what superpower they’d have if they had to choose just one.

Customers had taken to pointing out how well pregnancy suited her – “You’ve really got that glow!” one old lady had cooed at her. Anna was happy to smile and thank them, say how excited she was to meet her baby, or how she felt like she could pop at any moment. But on the inside, she knew that baby was only half the cause of her glow, and the other factor was the delicious secret she shared with Småby Bend’s most handsome doctor.

Yes, Anna was glowing. And for the first time in forever, she felt genuinely content. It was like she’d been underwater for years, and suddenly she’d come to the surface and could finally breathe.

Truly, she was happy, but her new routine would come to a crashing halt down one humdrum Thursday afternoon.

The bell above the door jingled as it opened, and Hans strode towards Anna at the counter with a face of thunder. He grabbed her arm, digging his fingers into the flesh through her dress sleeve. The café fell silent as he all but dragged her to the door, ignoring her startled protestations of, “Hans, my shift isn’t over.”

“I don’t give a fuck,” he told her as he slammed the door behind them. “We’re going home. Now.”

He didn’t let go of her for the entire walk back, and Anna could feel the fury coming off him as he fumbled and dropped the keys at their front door. Finally, he got it open, and he roughly shoved her inside.

“You pathetic fucking _bitch_.” Anna was shaking as he towered over her, his voice full of venom as he told her, “You had better have a good explanation for what I found out today.”


	7. The Beginning of the End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all!  
> Please be aware that this chapter comes with a serious trigger warning for domestic violence, attempted murder, and mentions of miscarriage. If you'd like to skip reading this chapter, please check the notes at the end where I'll sum up the major points and you can still follow the rest of the story!  
> ~ Saturn

Anna didn’t dare try to get away from Hans as he shoved her into the living room. He picked up a wad of five dollar bills from the coffee table, clenching his hand into a fist around it as he held it up to her face.

“Tell me why I found so much money in the sofa.” Anna stayed silent, her hands pressed to her belly protectively even as she was too afraid to speak. She jumped when he barked, “Tell me!”

He started pacing the room like a deranged wild animal that had gone insane from captivity. The sound of the notes crumpling in his hands filled Anna with dread as he muttered furious curses.

“And it’s not just in the sofa, is it?” He laughed, but there was no joy in it. “No, it’s balled up in your socks in the drawer. Hell, it’s even taped _under_ the fucking drawer. You sneaky fucking _bitch_.”

Anna barely recognised him as he strode towards her. His face was twisted with anger and resentment, and his movements seemed inhuman to her. She saw the paper notes fill the air beside them as he tossed the wad aside. They looked oddly calm, fluttering to the floor, even as her husband raised his hands to her neck, squeezing hard at her throat.

“So why is my wife hiding so much money right under my fucking _nose_ , hm? You’re trying to leave me, aren’t you? You ungrateful _whore_!”

Anna scrabbled at his hands, trying to pull them away from neck. Hans was like icy stone, unyielding. He pushed her backwards, up against the living room wall, pressing harder at her flesh as she gasped and wheezed. In between coughing breaths, she choked out, “Hans, please! It’s- it’s for the baby! I’m saving for the baby, so we can buy a crib. It was meant to be a nice surprise-”

“You’re a liar, Anna. You’re a liar, and a whore.” His thumbs pressed into her windpipe, and Anna’s eyes widened as white spots began to cloud her vision. “I don’t even know why I married you, why I put up with you all these years. You are a useless, untalented, ungrateful, pathetic bitch. And you’re going to be fucking _dead_.”

There wasn’t enough air in her lungs for Anna to scream, and she felt like her energy was being sapped out of her. She’d been kicking at him, scratching at his arms to get him to let go, trying desperately to squirm free, but now she felt so, so weary.

Her limbs stilled, ceasing their struggle, and Hans let go as Anna’s body went limp. He stood back, allowing her body to slump to the floor. He was past caring. As his wife lay in a heap on the living room carpet, Hans Westergaard picked up all of the money that had fallen to the floor.

Vaguely, Anna felt his foot kick hard at her stomach. She felt the ache of it, felt her spine protest as the force slammed her back against the wall. If there’d been air in her body, the blow would have knocked it out of her.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the house, and distantly, Anna thought she heard the door open, before it was slammed closed. Then there was only silence, and a ringing in her ears, and a pounding in her head.

Anna wasn’t sure how long she lay there.

Her breaths were weak and laboured. Her throat burned, and her lungs seemed to ache. She could feel bruises already blossoming on her neck.

Her worst fears had been realised, and she knew it. She knew that Hans had meant to kill her. He thought he _had_ killed her, and he _left_. He was probably going to the only bar in Småby Bend, ordering a pint of something strong to celebrate his freedom.

Anna became aware of a dull ache in her back. The wall was hard and cold against it, unyielding just like her husband had been. The skirting board was jabbing into her spine uncomfortably, yet she couldn’t bring herself to move.

There would be a few notes tucked away that he hadn’t found, but that didn’t matter anymore. He’d taken most of what she’d saved when he left, and she was never going to see that money again. Her chances of entering the contest were over.

She had been naïve. Her ego had been inflated. Of course she was the best baker in Småby Bend – she was the only baker in Småby Bend. It was laughable that she had ever considered using the prize money from a competition she was never going to win to buy herself a new life.

Anna felt one small, pathetic tear run down her cheek.

The sensation of wetness between her legs made her stir. Curious, she reached a shaking hand down, hitching up the skirt of her dress to investigate. Her knickers and thighs were soaked. Slowly, she raised her hand up to her face, and blinked as she took in the dark liquid that covered it. Blood.

Panic flooded through her, and she ignored her weariness and the protests from her aching limbs as she struggled to push herself up. Her head throbbed and the room span, and she had to steady herself against the wall. She became aware of how much she was shaking, and realised she wouldn’t be able to stand.

A sudden, dreadful cramp in her stomach motivated her to pull herself forward, dragging her own body across the carpet at an exhaustingly slow pace. Her vision was so blurred that she was moving from memory, heading for the landline phone that was plugged in next to the television.

When she reached it, she had to rest her back against the TV cabinet. Her breath was coming in short, heaving pants, and she felt so nauseous and dizzy that she wasn’t even sure which way was up. She was so grateful that she remembered the right number as she lifted the phone to her ear and heard the dial tone.

A few short rings, then the chirpy voice of the receptionist greeted her, “Hello, Småby Bend Medical Practice, how can I-”

“-Please, I need help,” Anna gasped out. Her voice was scratchy and sounded as weak as her body felt. “Kristoff- Tell Kristoff that it’s Anna. I-” She trailed off, and the telephone fell from her hand as she slumped to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Seven Main Points:  
> \- Hans found the money that Anna had hidden in the sofa, and subsequently ransacked the house, finding most of the rest of it.  
> \- Anna tries to defend herself by claiming that she was saving up to buy something nice for the baby, but Hans doesn't believe her.  
> \- Hans strangles Anna until she collapses. As she lies on the floor, he kicks her tummy hard, then leaves with the money.  
> \- Anna comes to, reflecting on her life and her relationships, and thinks she was stupid for ever believing she could give herself a better life.  
> \- Anna realises that she's bleeding profusely from downstairs, and crawls weakly to the phone.  
> \- Anna reaches the phone and calls the doctor's office, asking for Kristoff and saying she needs help.  
> \- She blacks out again.


	8. Road to Recovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now... the penultimate chapter of Opening Up!  
> (Psst, you didn't think I'd leave my loves suffering for long, did you?)  
> ~ Saturn

As Anna drifted towards consciousness, she could hear the beeping of monitors and smell the unmistakably sterile scent of a hospital.

Her eyelids felt heavy and immobile, and her mind felt clouded and fuzzy. She was battling to collect her thoughts; what was the last thing she remembered? Her memories felt distant, and she struggled to reach them.

She had called the doctor’s office at Småby Bend, and in her desperation and panic had asked for the only person she could think of: Kristoff. It may have been minutes, or it may have been hours, but she could remember the relief that flooded her when she heard the front door open and quickly felt Kristoff’s strong arms around her. (Briefly, she’d thought how irresponsible it had been for Hans to leave the door unlocked.)

Kristoff had spoken to someone on the phone. She remembered the panic in his voice, even as he stroked her hair reassuringly. She had been in pain, so much pain. The pain was gone now, though.

Distantly, Anna recalled the sound of sirens, and blue lights flashing into the room through the window. Kristoff’s voice echoed in her memory as more people came into the house, “She’s in here! Hurry!” Then she’d been lifted and moved away.

Someone had been speaking to her, reassuring her, encouraging her to stay with them. And she tried, she really did, but she was so tired, and in so much pain, and all she wanted was Kristoff. In the end, she gave in to the urge to rest, and she allowed herself to slip away from reality. She only came to when she was being moved again.

She had heard voices, and she knew that people were discussing her. She couldn’t bring herself to care about it. It felt as though a hundred people had been poking at her, prodding at her, but it didn’t really bother her. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she recognised that they were trying to help.

Lastly, Anna felt a pinprick in her arm and a mask slid over her mouth and nose.

One thought eclipsed all the others. Baby. Was baby okay?

Her eyes fluttered open.

There was a nurse beside her, fiddling with the drip that was connected to her arm. Anna tried to get her attention. “H- hello…” Her voice was weak, and her throat was rasping and dry.

The nurse turned her attention to Anna, giving her a warm and reassuring smile as she saw her. “Ah, welcome back, Mrs. Westergaard! How are you feeling?”

“Just ‘Anna’. Please, just ‘Anna’.” Her eyes started to well with tears.

“Of course. Anna. I’m sorry.”

“Is- is my baby okay?”

Her mind still felt foggy, but she was starting to come to her senses. Anna felt the nurse take her hand gently. “Your baby is several weeks premature, and is a bit unhappy at having to come out early. But she’s receiving the best care we can give her, and is already in much better condition than she was.”

“‘She’?” The tears that had formed earlier now started to fall in earnest.

With a kind smile, the nurse confirmed, “Yes, Anna. You have a beautiful daughter. Congratulations.”

Anna’s tears of joy rolled down her cheeks, and she could feel her nose starting to run embarrassingly. She was a mother. And not just that, she had a daughter. A daughter who she already adored with all her being, without ever laying her eyes on her.

The nurse handed her a tissue, which she accepted with a shaking hand attached to limb that felt ridiculously heavy. “The surgeon wanted to speak to you when you woke up. Do you feel up to that?”

Anna nodded and the nurse pressed a button to the side of her bed. “My name is Yelena, by the way.”

The door opened and in strode a man in scrubs. Like Yelena, he had a reassuring smile, and his warm voice comforted Anna as he introduced himself as Doctor Mattias.

“Mrs Westergaard-”

“-Anna.” Yelena deftly corrected him before Anna even registered the need to.

“I apologise. Anna, when you arrived, you needed an emergency caesarean section, so you’ve been under general anaesthetic and you’re currently on a few painkillers as well. Are they working for you or do you need some more?”

“I’m fine, thank you. No pain at all.”

“Excellent.” He went on, “Your baby is very premature, as you’re aware. Premature babies can have a few complications, but we’re managing those as well as we can. Baby is in an incubator at the moment, because she’s finding it a bit difficult to regulate her temperature. She also struggled to breathe at first, so we did have to give her oxygen. She’s very small, but her condition is stable. We’re very happy with her progress, actually.”

Before Anna had the chance to breathe a sigh of relief, Doctor Mattias’ tone became even more serious. “Anna, the reason we had to do a c-section was because you were suffering a miscarriage when you were brought in. It was caused by severe stress and… a blow to your stomach. Your oxygen levels were very low, and you have severe bruising, particularly around your neck. We had concerns, and Doctor Bjorgman seconded them.

“Your husband is in police custody, Anna. On suspicion of physical assault, and attempted murder.”

Anna sucked in a shocked breath, and Yelena moved closer to ask, “Anna, this is a very difficult question to ask, and to answer, but we need to know. Did your husband cause your injuries?”

“Yes,” Anna admitted quietly.

She watched Yelena and Doctor Mattias exchange a glance. “Thank you for being honest with us,” Yelena said gently. “Do you want to press charges against him? You don’t have to commit to anything right away, we know this is a very big decision-”

“-It’s the easiest decision I think I’ve ever made. Yes, I want to press charges against him. But first, I want to sign some divorce papers.”

It didn’t happen the order she’d set out, but Anna didn’t mind. As soon as Doctor Mattias had confirmed that she was thinking clearly enough, two police officers were in the room, and she was able to tell her story at long last.

She detailed how it all started, with harsh words and restricting her freedoms. Within six months of their marriage, he’d taken her mobile phone, beaten down her self esteem to the point where her personality had altered, and had total financial control in their relationship.

Over the years, his abuse had escalated. She told the officers the truth; that her husband had slapped her, punched her, pulled her hair, and grabbed her frequently. Anna had become so familiar with the sensation of being beaten and dragged around that she had learned to dissociate from it. She barely felt the blows anymore, she said. She barely felt anything.

The police officers listened as she told them about the time that he choked her, and how convinced she was that he wanted to kill her. And then she explained the details of this most recent attack. She detailed the brutality of it, the extent of the injuries he’d caused her, and the fact that he’d left her to miscarry and die in their living room.

They took statements from Doctor Mattias about the necessity of her c-section, and the other injuries he’d noticed on Anna’s body. Photographs were taken of the bruises on her neck, and of her as she lay in the hospital bed, still weak.

Before they left, one of the officers looked deep into Anna’s eyes and told her, “There is so much evidence against him. We will see to it that he is locked away for a very long time. You’re safe now.”

Safe.

In recent months, there had been only one person who could make her feel safe. She wanted to see him. As if reading her mind, Yelena waited until the officers had left before saying, “Dr Kristoff Bjorgman arrived soon after you did. He’s been waiting to see you. Shall I send him in?”

Anna nodded, and Yelena disappeared, and Doctor Mattias followed. Soon after, Kristoff appeared around the doorframe.

“Kristoff,” she whispered, relief and joy flooding through her.

Taking in her appearance, her vulnerability and how weak she’d become, Kristoff’s eyes shone with tears. “Anna.”

She held a hand out to him, and he came closer to hold it. With a gentle tug, she pulled him closer to herself, placing her fingertips on his cheek. When they kissed, he was so incredibly gentle, as though she was as fragile and delicate as thin glass.

They pulled back, and she pressed her forehead to his. She could feel his breath on her face, and could hardly believe that she was here. She was a mother, and she had Kristoff, and she was safe.

In spite of everything she had been through, she felt immense happiness, and she couldn’t help but smile as she told him with certainty, “I love you.”

“I love you too, Anna. With all my heart.”


	9. Onto a Winner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter! WHOOOOO!  
> Thank you so much for reading so far, your comments, kudos, reblogs, likes, and just your presence has meant the world to me as I've posted this fic. It's really easy to convince yourself that no one is interested in what you have to share, so I really appreciate everyone who has shown me that I was wrong about that!  
> There will be an Epilogue for Opening Up, so do keep an eye out for that. And I'm also participating in Kristanna Week, starting from the 9th of November, so keep your eyes peeled for me over on Tumblr if you'd like to see more of my Kristanna content! (musingsofsaturn.tumblr.com)  
> Thank you again for reading, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.  
> ~ Saturn

Kristoff sat by her side, listening attentively as Anna told him everything that had happened. She skimmed over some of the details of the attack, but she knew that Kristoff was aware of the severity of it; he’d seen her blood-covered living room and must have recognised the signs of miscarriage. However, she knew that he would be upset if he knew the brutality with which Hans had treated her. There was no need for him to know all the details.

He had been aware that she was saving up to enter the pie contest, and she saw his brow furrow into a disappointed frown as she said that Hans had taken the vast majority of her money. When she mentioned that Hans seemed to have deliberately harmed the baby, Kristoff sat back in his chair. His face became flushed, and his hands began to shake with fury.

When she’d finished, she told him plain and simple, “I’m divorcing Hans, and I’m going to see to it that he rots in jail before he comes anywhere near me and baby again.”

Kristoff took her hand, meeting her eyes as he said, “I am so proud of you. You are the strongest woman I have ever met.” He seemed to falter, and he dropped his gaze. “Anna, I want you to that I have no expectations of anything. I love you, but if you don’t want to be with me right now or- or ever… I understand. I will completely respect that.”

Her heart melted. “Kristoff, that is exactly _why_ I want to be with you.”

He exhaled a breath that Anna hadn’t realised he’d been holding. “We will go at your pace,” he promised. “You tell me to back off, I’ll back off.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

A soft knock on the door interrupted them, and Anna looked up to see Yelena in the doorway again. Kristoff excused himself to make a phone call, and Yelena took his place at Anna’s bedside.

“Anna, baby’s looking good. I just thought I’d let you know that a midwife is bringing her up to see you now.”

Almost as soon as Yelena had finished, the door was pushed open once more, and in walked another nurse with a bundle of blankets in her arms. She introduced herself, and Yelena said something else, but Anna only had eyes for her baby. She stretched out her arms, feeling almost incomplete as she realised that the only thing she wanted to do in that moment was hold her baby.

Gently, the bundle was placed into her waiting arms, and Anna held her baby close as she gazed into the most beautiful face she had ever seen. Two large blue eyes gazed into her own inquisitively, and her beautiful little lips were pursed in what was almost a pout. Their warm pink colour matched her rosy cheeks, and Anna felt her wriggling within the confines of her blanket bundle.

With delicate fingers, Anna peeled back the layers of blankets, and was enthralled by her tiny fingers and miniature fingernails. As Anna stroked her baby’s hand tenderly, the tiny fingers wrapped around her thumb. She was so small, so fragile, and so, _so_ beautiful.

“I love you so much, baby,” Anna whispered, leaning down to press a kiss on her forehead. Anna looked up to see Kristoff coming back into the room. Smiling at him, then back to her baby, Anna considered all that had happened, and all that would come. Suddenly, a happy life seemed attainable, and Anna was determined to seek it out. With her lips close to the baby’s ear, Anna spoke so softly that only she and her own daughter would hear as she declared, “We were both born today.”

It felt like hours of tunnel vision as Anna held her daughter, even as doctors and nurses ran various tests on them both. Kristoff was beside them the entire time, his loving presence projecting a sense of comfort that was more than welcome in Anna’s perfect little bubble of happiness.

Anna only broke out of her trance-like state when the door again opened, and in walked Elsa, Bulda, and Cliff. She smiled at them all, welcoming them in and holding her baby up to show her off to her friends.

They shared the typical conversation, with congratulations about the baby, concern over Anna’s condition, and clarification about what was going on with Hans. Cliff listened in near silence, only offering the odd one-word comment, or gruff grunted response.

When the chatter had died down, Cliff stepped closer. “Anna, you’re a very good employee, and I want you to know that I care about you. Hell, I don’t show it well, but I care about all you girls. I wouldn’t be where I am without you, and I like having you all around.”

For once, Bulda didn’t have a sassy quip to interrupt him with, and he went on. “Kristoff here told us that you were saving up for that pie contest, and that the money you’d got is gone now, and… I wanted to help.” He fumbled in his pocket, pulling out a wad of cash, which he placed on the table to Anna’s bedside. “There’s enough there for the entrance fee, and a little extra for some ingredients for your entry.”

“Cliff,” Anna whispered, her eyes welling with tears. “Thank you so much. This is so generous, I- I don’t know what to say.”

He cleared his throat, fidgeting awkwardly with his clothes. “You don’t have to say anything. It’s the least I could do.”

“Dammit, Cliff,” Bulda laughed. “We’re going to look like copycats now. Elsa and _I_ have been saving up too.”

“We wanted to get you a nice baby gift, but since she’s come early, we haven’t bought anything yet.” Elsa smiled lovingly at the baby as she spoke, already smitten.

Bulda dug through the pockets of her uniform dress (only Elsa was sensible enough to carry a small handbag) to pull out a fistful of cash, which she added to the pile that Cliff had already put down.

“You use that for whatever you want to, sweetie,” Bulda beamed.

Elsa seconded the sentiment, “Some nice baby clothes, a comfy crib, some toys… Whatever you think is best.”

Kristoff glanced at his phone, then sheepishly cleared his throat as Anna thanked her fellow waitresses gratefully. “And, um, the confirmation’s just come through, so I guess I should tell you that I actually submitted an application to the pie contest for you, just after I rang the café.”

He looked to Cliff apologetically, but the older man grinned with a delight that Anna had never seen from him before. “Well, that works out even better. Even more for little baby here.”

Tears of joy were cascading down Anna’s face, and she held on to her baby even closer as she offered a watery smile to her friends – her found family. “Thank you all so much. You have no idea what this means to me. What this means to _us_.”

Everyone followed her gaze to the baby, and Elsa asked finally, “Do you have a name for her yet?”

“Yes. Everybody, I’d like to introduce baby Hope.”

~

Anna recovered well from her caesarean surgery, and Hope continued to grow in size and strength as well. It seemed to Anna that her daughter grew only more beautiful every single day. After a couple of weeks, they were discharged from hospital, and Anna and Hope, reluctant to return to the site of so much terror and sadness, went somewhere they knew they were safe.

Kristoff had been all too willing to open his home to them. Respectful as ever, he’d offered to sleep on the couch, but Anna had insisted that she would much rather have him by her side. She joked that she just wanted an extra pair of hands nearby for when Hope got fussy, but the truth was that she was just so relieved to finally have a partner she could trust that she wanted him close to her at all times.

Anna had taken time off from the café, both for the sake of maternity leave, and also to allow her time to focus on her changed life.

The divorce was finalised quickly. With a fifty percent split of their shared assets, and a restraining order that insured he wasn’t allowed anywhere near her, Anna was more than happy to sign her name and cut Hans Westergaard out of her life forever. He didn’t even fight for visiting rights to see his daughter. It was a relief, albeit bittersweet. Anna was relieved that he wasn’t going to have anything to do with Hope, but heartbroken for her daughter that her own father had shown such disinterest.

Anna appeared in court under her maiden name of Anna Oldenburg. Cowardly and selfish, Hans had pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, and so she had to testify to his years of abuse, culminating in the violence that could have ended the lives of her and her daughter.

The doctors and nurses who had saved Anna and Hope’s lives testified as well. They detailed the extent of Anna’s injuries, and the hard-hitting reality that both of them could have died if they hadn’t received medical care fast enough.

Anna’s original statement was read aloud, accompanied with the pictures of the aftermath of Hans’ attack. Dark bruises all over her back, a split lip and eyebrow, and the tear-joking photograph of the bruises on her neck, clearly in the shape of two hands.

Bulda and Elsa acted as character witnesses, as well as coworkers of Hans from the garage. They all said that he was moody and aggressive as a person, and detailed his possession and jealousy towards Anna.

In the end, the judge barely had to think before finding Hans guilty of all the charges – coercive control, assault causing actual bodily harm, assault with attempt to procure a miscarriage, and attempted murder. He was sentenced to the maximum prison sentence for all of his crimes, to be served consecutively. In short, he was never getting out.

To help her cope with the stress of the court case, divorce, and life with a newborn, Anna turned to baking.

She made hundreds of pies in the months that followed her discharge from hospital. Every day, Kristoff left for work, and returned to a pie that was fresh from the oven and ready to be tasted.

Anna worked on her shortcrust pastry, her puff pastry, her filo pastry, her choux pastry. Kristoff hadn’t even known there were so many pastries, and here was Anna, perfecting them all.

She tried dozens of fillings. Lemon cream here, vanilla merengue there, and all kinds of fruits to boot. Strawberries would boil away on the stove, the sweetness balanced with just the right amount of lemon juice. She combined rhubarb with lime, pear with blackberries and a pinch of rosemary, and apple with pumpkin and cinnamon.

In the end, she settled on one recipe, and for the final weeks before the pie contest, she made sure that it was perfect.

The smell of cherries permeated the small house as Anna boiled cherries with carefully measured butter and flour, and a dash of lemon juice to add just a touch of tartness to the flavour profile. When it had reached the desired consistency, she stirred in some flaked almonds to add a delicious crunch, adding a bit of almond extract to enhance the flavour.

She dipped in a spoon, bringing it to her lips to taste so she could make sure that she was happy with it. It was sweet; but not too sweet. The cherries, sour and sweet at the same time, seemed to dance on her tastebuds, and the taste of almonds lingered long after she’d swallowed; a homey, nutty flavour that she loved. Satisfied, she nodded, and poured the mixture into the pie tin, with the pastry she’d already prepared waiting to be filled.

In truth, Anna had almost given up on this recipe, convinced it wasn’t good enough, until Kristoff had suggested adding ground almonds to the pastry. On even the first trial of that version, they knew that she was on to a winner. The subtle addition was just what the recipe needed to really sing.

Bouncing Hope on his hip, Kristoff laughed at Anna as he walked into the kitchen to see her using a ruler to lay out a lattice of pastry on the top of her pie. In concentration, her tongue poked out as she carefully crimped the edges, before sprinkling a bit of brown sugar and flaked almonds on the top to finish it off.

At long last, when the pie finally came out of the oven, the pastry was golden brown, and the filling was bubbling away inside.

“I’m calling it ‘Hopeful Cherry Pie’. What do you think, baby?” Anna asked Hope, holding the pie up so the baby could see it, even if she had no clue what it was.

Kristoff lifted her so that his ear was near her mouth, and he pretended to be listening intently. Anna giggled at him, and finally he said, “Hope has declared that this pie-” He took her tiny hand in his own giant one, gesturing towards the pie. “-is going to be a winner.”


	10. Epilogue

Arendelle was a historic town, on the opposite side of the North Mountain to Småby Bend. It had hundreds of charming shops and boutiques, bustling streets of townhouses and apartments, and links to anywhere in the country that anyone could hope to go. Bordered by the ocean to the west, and guarded by the mountains to the east, Arendelle felt steady and unchanging, yet hummed with the excitement of a city on the rise.

Down one of many cobbled streets, with a glorious view of the North Mountain out of its large front window, was Lykke Pie Shop. Still gleaming from its recent refurbishment, the interior was simple and cosy, full of armchairs, fairy lights, and fluffy blankets the guests could pull over their laps if they felt chilly as winter drew closer. From the outside, people passing could see the display in the window, three rows deep and four tiers high. There was a delectable range of pies, pastries, and cakes to choose from, and even more by the counter. Inside, the homely aroma of baked goods and coffee was inescapable and intoxicating.

Three years had passed since Anna won the Arendelle Pie Contest, and she’d used her winnings in combination with money Kristoff earned from selling his house to buy the café and the two-story flat above it. The couple were more than ready to move on from Småby Bend and start a new life away from the memories there. Anna felt that her daughter would have better opportunities in Arendelle than she would find in Småby Bend as well.

Tucked into a corner, Elsa and Honeymaren pored over bridal magazines, trying to determine what style they’d like for their respective wedding dresses for their upcoming nuptials. Honeymaren was relaying the merits of getting married wearing jeans (“Levi’s are so expensive, they’re basically formalwear.”), while Elsa resigned herself to listing the pros and cons of every possible wedding dress neckline (“On the one hand, sweetheart necklines are very flattering, but is a sleeveless style impractical?”).

Cliff and Bulda had stopped paying attention to their companions about two minutes after they sat down. Bulda’s marriage was dissolved, and now that she and Cliff were openly dating, they couldn’t seem to keep their hands off each other. They’d been officially together for the best part of two years, and unofficially together for one before that, and their ‘spark’ was just as alive now as it had been when they first started.

In the kitchen, Anna offered a spoon to Hope, who was sitting on the counter with her legs swinging happily.

“Okay, baby,” Anna asked the toddler as she tasted a little bit of the mixture on the spoon. “What do you think?”

“It’s perfect!” Hope cried enthusiastically.

“Are you _sure_?” Anna teased. “This recipe is really important, remember? But if you think it’s perfect, then I guess we can start filling-”

“-No, wait!” Anna giggled as Hope took another small taste. “More nutmeg.”

Anna did as she suggested, adding some more nutmeg to the apple mixture on the stove, before dipping in a fresh spoon and feeding the new version to Hope.

The smile that crossed Hope’s little face was contagious, and Anna beamed back at her as she said, “ _Now_ it’s perfect!”

“Alright then, baby, let’s start filling!”

Taking the pot off the stove, Anna turned to the small circles of pie crust that Hope had cut out earlier. Well, the toddler had been so gentle and careful with her biscuit cutter that Anna actually did the majority, but Hope had cut out a few of them and that was enough for her to count as the assistant Head Baker.

Anna placed a tablespoon of filling on top of half the disks, then turned to Hope with a smile. “Have you got our secret box?”

Hope reached into the pocket of her dungarees, chubby fingers emerging with a delicate velvet jewellery box clasped within them. “Can I see it? _Please_?”

Hope’s eyes lit up as Anna opened the box, showing the toddler the simple silver band that lay inside. There was a small orange stone emerging from the top of it, and inscribed around the inside of the ring were the words: ‘ _My best bad idea’_.

“Now, I need you to make a very important decision for me.” Hope looked up at her mother with so such a serious little face that Anna couldn’t help but giggle. “Which pie pop should the ring go inside?”

Hope surveyed each of the disks on the counter beside her. She was assessing them with so much care and attention that Anna knew she was certain with her decision when her pudgy finger pointed to one right in the middle. “That one,” Hope stated firmly.

“Okay, baby.” Anna removed the ring from the box, and kissed it quickly. “For luck,” she said in reply to Hope’s inquisitive look. Before she could move to put it into the filling of the allocated pie, Hope grasped her arm, pulling Anna’s hands closer so she could kiss the ring too.

“For luck,” the little toddler said seriously.

Smiling, Anna placed the ring in the centre of the pie filling, before carefully sealing the pie pops shut. She made a hole for the steam in all of them, shaping the hole into a heart for the special one, and finally slid them into the oven to bake.

By the time they came out of the oven, they were golden brown and steaming away, and Anna waited for them to cool before she and Hope stuck sticks into each one. Around the special pie pop, Hope wrapped a ribbon around the stick. It was orange; her favourite colour. As she wrapped, she told Anna that she chose orange because “Orange is the best colour, and Kristoff is the _best_.”

With her daughter’s help, Anna arranged the pie pops in a nice display, leaving the special one on its own plate on the counter. As they left the kitchen to place the display in the window, the bell above the door jingled and Anna looked to it just in time to see Kristoff step through it.

“Where are my favourite girls?” he called out, even as Hope charged at him from behind the counter.

“Here!” she cried, leaping into his waiting arms as he lifted her into the air. He kissed her cheek sloppily in greeting, and moved her smoothly to his hip as she squealed with laughter.

“And here’s my other one,” he said, smiling fondly and he moved towards Anna to kiss her. “Oh wow, those look amazing.” He reached for the display of pie pops, and Anna promptly slapped his hand away.

“Ah, ah, ah, mister. These are for my paying customers.”

He pouted, making her laugh. “One?”

“Nuh-uh.”

“Come on, fiestypants! You’re killing me here!”

Hope leaned up to his ear, and Anna heard her toddler’s whisper clear as day. She hadn’t quite mastered the skill yet. “There’s a special one in the kitchen _just_ for you.”

“Is that so?” he answered slyly, darting past Anna and into the kitchen. With her heart fluttering, she followed, knowing that it would only be few short moments before she was finally popping the question to the man she loved.


End file.
